Special to The Post-Searchlight

Will it cost more to feed families in Georgia this year? Do farmers expect high yields? Will poultry still rule the roost in Georgia? These and many more agricultural questions will be answered at the sixth annual Ag Forecast Series set for the week of Jan. 23-27.

The second of these seminars will be held Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. Registration will open at 9 a.m. at each session. A Q&A session and a networking lunch will follow the lectures. Participants will leave the seminar with a preview of the upcoming year and a copy of the 2012 Ag Forecast Book, which is designed to give citizens a detailed analysis of each major product produced in Georgia — from broilers to blueberries. The session costs $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight.

UGA faculty will give an overview of the upcoming year, and a keynote speaker will discuss farm labor, one of the hottest topics in Georgia agriculture.

The keynote speaker at each location will be Nowell Berreth, an attorney who represents agribusinesses in litigation and general counseling. He works frequently on matters concerning the Packers & Stockyards Act, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, the Capper-Volstead Act and other agricultural statutes. Berreth also works closely with producers and distributors of many agricultural products, including poultry, peanuts, fresh produce, corn and soybeans.

George A. Shumaker, a UGA professor emeritus, will present the ag forecast in Tifton. Shumaker has more than 30 years of experience in agricultural economics as a teacher, researcher and county extension specialist. He conducts market analysis and evaluates the feasibility of alternative energy production from agricultural resources.

Jon Huffmaster, legislative director for the Georgia Farm Bureau, will discuss the latest amendments to the farm bill. Huffmaster coordinates the development and implementation of Farm Bureau’s farm policy initiatives in Atlanta and Washington.

For more information and to register, visit www.georgiaagforecast.com.